Shandong Province, east China, has invested 80 million yuan
(US$10 million) in protecting local wetland resources in the past
more than ten years, according to the provincial forestry
authorities.
The money was mainly used in the establishment of 14 wetland
nature reserves, including the state-level Yellow River delta
nature reserve, covering a total area of 620,000 hectares,
according to the Shandong Provincial Forestry Bureau.
Shandong boasts 1.78 million hectares of wetlands, accounting
for 11.4 percent of the province's land space.
The province also listed 50 species of water birds living in
wetlands under provincial top protection. The state-level Yellow
River delta nature reserve alone now is home to 283 species of wild
birds.
China has 66 million hectares of wetlands, the most in Asia and
fourth-largest in the world.
The country also has 473 wetlands nature reserves and has put 45
percent of its total natural wetlands under effective
protection.
(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2007)
